.How he intends to oust OBA from Senate

.OBA: The battle of his life

A plan by legal-savvy politician Hon Bassey Etim(BAFIL) to immediately defect to the APC if he eventually gets to unseat Senator Bassey Albert has been uncovered.

According to source close to Etim, the former House of Representative Member who represented Uyo Federal Constituency in the past has been in regular contact with the APC with a view of crossing-over after he might have ousted Senator Albert, popularly known as OBA.

NEWS LINK also learnt from the source that the APC have been providing serious support for BAFIL to actualize his senate dream. According to him, the support includes providing financial and logistics support in court for BAFIL is well known in Akwa Ibom for his penchant for resorting to legal means to win elections.

Trouble started for OBA eight months ago when Federal High Court sitting in Uyo nullified the election that qualifies him as a senator in the National Assembly. The court faulted the primary that produced him as flag bearer of the PDP and subsequent election that made him senator. OBA was asked by the court to refund all salaries and entitlements he has so far collected as Senator from the National Assembly.

However, in a battle termed by his close associates as a combat of his life, OBA has had to fight tooth and nail to remain in the Red Chambers. His close working relationship with the hierarchy of the Senate and the determination of the Akwa Ibom State PDP to keep him as their senator has been his saving grace.
Indications that external powers were against OBA soon emerged with INEC issuing a Certificate of Return to BAFIL to facilitate his move to the senate to replace OBA. Further proof that there might be a romance between BAFIL and the APC emerged when the Attorney General of the Federation tried to dabble into the matter by mandating the Senate to replace OBA with BAFIL, a move that was rebuffed by Senate President Bukola Saraki.

                                                              OBA: Battle of his life

To OBA’s relief, a defiant Akwa Ibom Chapter of the PDP has been consistently on his side insisting that Justice, not intrigues will determine who represents the party at the Senate.

A part of a recent statement  by Comrade Ini Ememobong, Publicity Secretary of the PDP should gladden OBA’s heart: “The Peoples Democratic Party Akwa Ibom State Chapter is insistent that justice will be the foundation for the determination of the Appeal by Sen. Bassey Albert against the judgement of the federal high court sitting in uyo. No amount of intrigues employed by persons with a rich history of mandate kidnapping will help in any way”.

After their in court on Wednesday in Calabar, a press statement by the publicity secretary read:

“At the resumed hearing of the appeal filed by Senator Bassey Albert Akpan against the judgment of the Federal High court, 2 siting in Uyo of 27th February, 2017 at the Court of Appeal, Calabar, Solomon Umoh SAN led the legal team for the Appellant while Mba Nwkeni SAN led the team for the 1st Respondent (Mr. Bassey Etim) and Goddy Umoh Esq, O. B. Akpan Esq were for the 2nd Respondent (PDP) .

“ Solomon Umoh SAN applied that the Appellant’s Brief of Argument be regularised and deemed as proper before the court. The application was moved and granted as prayed though with a mild argument by the 1st respondent, who asked for cost, but was overruled. Consequently, the 1st Respondent requested 14days to file Respondent Brief and was granted. The Appeal was adjourned at the instance of the 1st Respondent (Mr. Etim) to 13/11 for hearing.

“ In the twin appeal filed by the PDP, Goddy Umoh Esq brought to the attention of the court the motion filed by the National Chairman of tthe PDP seeking to withdraw the earlier notice of withdrawal erroneously filed by the former Legal Adviser of the Party. He further applied to withdraw his motion of 27th September,2017. The application was granted and the motion struck out. Respondent sought to oppose the withdrawal of the notice of withdrawal but was told by the court that they could either orally oppose the motion by raising issues on point of law only or by filing a counter affidavit. Respondent preferred the latter and the case was adjourned at their instance to 13th November, 2017.

”Recall that in 2014, primaries to select the candidate to represent Akwa Ibom North East (Uyo) Senatorial District was conducted and Obong Bassey Albert declared the winner. He was presented to INEC as the candidate for the general elections which he won convincingly. Mr Bassey Etim contested the result of the primaries at the Federal High court, Uyo and obtained an ostracized judgment in his favour.

“Dissatisfied, the incumbent Senator and the party approached the Court of Appeal to vacate the judgment of the lower court and uphold Senator Albert’s mandate. As it is, Senator Bassey Albert (OBA) remains the Senator representing Akwa Ibom North East (Uyo) Senatorial District. Comrade Ini Ememobong, ANIPR State Publicity Secretary Peoples Democratic Party Akwa Ibom State”.